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Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the upcoming National Intermediate Games (EKO 2026) will give Nigeria a crucial system for spotting, developing, and holding onto young athletes before they reach the professional ranks.
The event, set to run from October 1 to 15, is projected to draw 14,000 to 15,000 competitors, making it one of the largest grassroots sporting gatherings the country has hosted.
Speaking during a site visit to Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, one of the Games’ key venues, Sanwo-Olu called Lagos’s selection as host a major milestone. He said the state took on the role after being chosen by the National Sports Commission to stage the first-ever edition of the tournament.
“We are going to be the first state and the first host of this sports festival that will help us achieve what we have all been talking about,” he said. “We want to hold grassroots sports. We want to encourage young people before they begin to leave. We want to nurture and develop all our children.”
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Beyond the competition itself, the governor said the Games are meant to lay the groundwork for a lasting pipeline that keeps talented young athletes developing within Nigeria rather than losing them elsewhere.
He linked the effort to Lagos’s broader push on sports infrastructure, pointing to three years of facility upgrades across Surulere, Ifako, Bariga, Ikorodu, Epe, Agege, and Badagry.
During the stadium tour, Sanwo-Olu reviewed progress on the football and athletics arenas, the indoor sports hall, the volleyball court, and the swimming pool. He said the main bowl is undergoing extensive reconstruction, with the pitch already upgraded to FIFA standards and natural grass laid down. The running track is expected to be finished within four to six weeks, and work on the pool and remaining facilities will wrap up before the Games begin.
He said he’s confident Teslim Balogun and the other venues will be ready in time, adding that the approaching tournament has pushed the renovation timeline forward.
Sanwo-Olu framed EKO 2026 as more than a sporting event — a foundation for a grassroots system that can eventually feed talent into Nigeria’s national teams and put Lagos’s commitment to youth sports development on full display.
